The University of North Texas is earmarking $25 million to expand research and recruit talented faculty, officials said Tuesday.
The university also announced that faculty will come together from many departments – from the arts to several areas of science – to work on research projects. Officials said they also plan to create a new research center focused on immigrant studies.
The $25 million investment comes from recent tuition increases, as well as state funding requested from the Legislature, said Vish Prasad, UNT's vice president for research and economic development.
UNT is one of seven public universities, including the University of Texas at Arlington and UT-Dallas, seeking to persuade state officials to designate them as top research universities and provide more resources.
Candace Carlisle,
Denton Record Chronicle
Showing posts with label University of Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University of Texas. Show all posts
September 10, 2008
September 8, 2008
Research May Speed Process for Asylum-Seekers
In 2007, 54,957 refugees fleeing from persecution sought asylum in the United States. Less than one-fourth of them were granted asylum.
An interdisciplinary group of professors from the School of Economic, Political and Policy Science at the University of Texas at Dallas has teamed up with the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas to research the asylum process. They hope their findings will help streamline the system to make it both more equitable and more efficient.
To begin the asylum process an applicant must be unwilling or unable to return to his or her country of origin because of a legitimate fear of persecution based on one, or more, of the following grounds:
Race.
Religion.
Nationality.
Ethnicity or linguistic community.
Membership in a particular social group.
Holding unpopular political opinions.
“Asylum applicants have so many obstacles to overcome,” said Dr. Lloyd J. Dumas, who is principal investigator. “Often they flee their homelands quickly under duress and do not have all the proper documentation to establish their claim. They also don’t have the financial resources to provide their own lawyer.”
The Human Rights Initiative of North Texas provides free legal services to clients through the agency’s extensive network of volunteer attorneys. The organization has a strong reputation. Since 2000, more than 85 percent of HRI’s asylum cases have been granted, more than twice the national average.
The UT Dallas researchers are using both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze shortfalls in the asylum process and how HRI has achieved such impressive success. A grant from the Overbrook Foundation is funding this three-year study that will run through the 2008-2009 academic year.
The UT Dallas research team includes six professors from the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, each contributing a different element of expertise to the collaborative research project:
Dr. Bobby Alexander, a sociologist and anthropologist, with expertise in immigration issues.
Dr. Douglas Dow, a political scientist specializing in political theory and theories of justice and the law.
Dr. Jennifer Holmes, a political scientist, working in the areas of American government and international relations.
Dr. Linda Keith, a political scientist with expertise in judicial behavior and global human rights.
Dr. Danielle Lavin-Loucks, a sociologist and criminologist with expertise in conversational analysis and ethno-methodology.
Dr. Lloyd J. Dumas, an economist and public policy analyst with expertise in transition processes.
The team’s preliminary findings show that in spite of random assignment, it seems to matter very much which judge hears an asylum case. Some judges within the same jurisdiction have grant rates nearly four times the rates of other judges.
Gender is also an issue. Male applicants usually fare better than female. Applicants who relocated within their homeland, before arriving in the United States to seek asylum, are more than twice as successful at obtaining asylum as those who did not relocate first.
“We hope to disseminate our findings so that other nonprofits working in this field might gain from what we learn,” said Dumas. “We’d also like to recommend policy changes that will make the asylum process more just and more effective.”
An interdisciplinary group of professors from the School of Economic, Political and Policy Science at the University of Texas at Dallas has teamed up with the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas to research the asylum process. They hope their findings will help streamline the system to make it both more equitable and more efficient.
To begin the asylum process an applicant must be unwilling or unable to return to his or her country of origin because of a legitimate fear of persecution based on one, or more, of the following grounds:
Race.
Religion.
Nationality.
Ethnicity or linguistic community.
Membership in a particular social group.
Holding unpopular political opinions.
“Asylum applicants have so many obstacles to overcome,” said Dr. Lloyd J. Dumas, who is principal investigator. “Often they flee their homelands quickly under duress and do not have all the proper documentation to establish their claim. They also don’t have the financial resources to provide their own lawyer.”
The Human Rights Initiative of North Texas provides free legal services to clients through the agency’s extensive network of volunteer attorneys. The organization has a strong reputation. Since 2000, more than 85 percent of HRI’s asylum cases have been granted, more than twice the national average.
The UT Dallas researchers are using both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze shortfalls in the asylum process and how HRI has achieved such impressive success. A grant from the Overbrook Foundation is funding this three-year study that will run through the 2008-2009 academic year.
The UT Dallas research team includes six professors from the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, each contributing a different element of expertise to the collaborative research project:
Dr. Bobby Alexander, a sociologist and anthropologist, with expertise in immigration issues.
Dr. Douglas Dow, a political scientist specializing in political theory and theories of justice and the law.
Dr. Jennifer Holmes, a political scientist, working in the areas of American government and international relations.
Dr. Linda Keith, a political scientist with expertise in judicial behavior and global human rights.
Dr. Danielle Lavin-Loucks, a sociologist and criminologist with expertise in conversational analysis and ethno-methodology.
Dr. Lloyd J. Dumas, an economist and public policy analyst with expertise in transition processes.
The team’s preliminary findings show that in spite of random assignment, it seems to matter very much which judge hears an asylum case. Some judges within the same jurisdiction have grant rates nearly four times the rates of other judges.
Gender is also an issue. Male applicants usually fare better than female. Applicants who relocated within their homeland, before arriving in the United States to seek asylum, are more than twice as successful at obtaining asylum as those who did not relocate first.
“We hope to disseminate our findings so that other nonprofits working in this field might gain from what we learn,” said Dumas. “We’d also like to recommend policy changes that will make the asylum process more just and more effective.”
September 7, 2008
Classes set tone for semester
Classes set tone for semester
College 301 column
By ROBERT RICH
The Palestine Herald
Everybody’s gone back to school now, and I’ve started the Fall 2008 semester here at UT. I figured I might as well continue the habit of filling you lovely folks in on the great (and not so great) classes I’m taking during my time here. Once again I’m enrolled in the minimum of 12 hours, not because I’m lazy, but because I’ve had enough transfer credits from dual-credit courses in high school as well as courses I’ve taken at TVCC to hold me over and make it okay to not take a full load. Plus, with a couple of the classes I’m in, any more than 12 would probably be torture. This is of course coming from a journalism major, an area of study that most people in the university dismiss as ridiculously easy, but I don’t see them doing any writing. But I digress, so without further ado, let’s get to the lovely academic adventures I am preparing to embark on this semester.
The History of Journalism — I know I know, it seems a bit cliché or inconsequential to take a class that will more than likely discuss a number of issues I’ve already learned time and time again during my days at UT, but it’s a required class, so I’m taking it. One good thing about the course is that there’s no required textbook, so that saves me the hassle of buying a $75 book and then never reading it. I have yet to take an exam in the course, and I’m very anxious to do so to learn how exactly the class is set up, seeing as how the professor can tend to ramble, and without a book that makes it difficult to know just what we’re supposed to remember for tests.
The Modern American City - I enrolled in this course because I still need plenty of electives to fulfill my degree requirements and a couple of my friends decided to take it as well. I cannot convey to you how surreally awesome this class is. The title of the course is fairly self-explanatory, as it deals with the critical issues and obstacles that plague modern cities, including illegal immigration, waste management, and more. But the best part about the class is without a doubt the professor, a British dude who is more overly dramatic than a soap opera. On our very first day, he talked about the illegal immigration problem and the various ways aliens enter the country, including a man who disguised himself as a car seat. “YOU stop the ‘seat man,’ if you’re so smart, if you’re so clever,” the professor said. He is without a doubt a brilliant man and definitely knows his stuff when it comes to problems in American cities, but the drama just adds an aura of ridiculous brilliance to the class. This could quite possibly become my favorite course this semester.
Intermediate Reporting aka J320 — This is the most dreaded class at UT’s School of Journalism. Every single student that comes into the College of Communication automatically hears about the course, which is comprised of an insane amount of work. This is the most intense writing class that undergraduate journalism students will have to take, with lengthy stories due nearly every week. That doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, but it adds up, considering I already write for The Daily Texan. Plus, it’s hard to get motivated to write stories simply for a class and a grade when you’re already getting published every week in one of the most award-winning student newspapers in the country, as well as here in the Herald-Press. This class won’t be so much trying not to drown in the workload as it will be trying to find the energy to actually do said work.
Second Year Spanish I — Oh yeah, you knew this one was coming. I won’t say too much in this spot because I think you all know about the difficulty I have with foreign languages and my affinity for telling everyone I know about that difficulty. Nevertheless, at least the professor is nice (something that isn’t always true, believe me), and considering that she’s a native Texan and former student at Texas Tech University, it’s humorous to hear her speaking with a perfect Spanish accent at one moment and then immediately switch to a typical Texan drawl in the next.
So there you have it. That’s my life for the next few months, trying to learn Spanish and doing a ridiculous amount of writing for the Texan, the Herald-Press and my class. Wish me luck.
————
Robert Rich is a junior journalism major at the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated from Westwood High School in 2006. He can be reached via e-mail at robert.rich@mail.utexas.edu
College 301 column
By ROBERT RICH
The Palestine Herald
Everybody’s gone back to school now, and I’ve started the Fall 2008 semester here at UT. I figured I might as well continue the habit of filling you lovely folks in on the great (and not so great) classes I’m taking during my time here. Once again I’m enrolled in the minimum of 12 hours, not because I’m lazy, but because I’ve had enough transfer credits from dual-credit courses in high school as well as courses I’ve taken at TVCC to hold me over and make it okay to not take a full load. Plus, with a couple of the classes I’m in, any more than 12 would probably be torture. This is of course coming from a journalism major, an area of study that most people in the university dismiss as ridiculously easy, but I don’t see them doing any writing. But I digress, so without further ado, let’s get to the lovely academic adventures I am preparing to embark on this semester.
The History of Journalism — I know I know, it seems a bit cliché or inconsequential to take a class that will more than likely discuss a number of issues I’ve already learned time and time again during my days at UT, but it’s a required class, so I’m taking it. One good thing about the course is that there’s no required textbook, so that saves me the hassle of buying a $75 book and then never reading it. I have yet to take an exam in the course, and I’m very anxious to do so to learn how exactly the class is set up, seeing as how the professor can tend to ramble, and without a book that makes it difficult to know just what we’re supposed to remember for tests.
The Modern American City - I enrolled in this course because I still need plenty of electives to fulfill my degree requirements and a couple of my friends decided to take it as well. I cannot convey to you how surreally awesome this class is. The title of the course is fairly self-explanatory, as it deals with the critical issues and obstacles that plague modern cities, including illegal immigration, waste management, and more. But the best part about the class is without a doubt the professor, a British dude who is more overly dramatic than a soap opera. On our very first day, he talked about the illegal immigration problem and the various ways aliens enter the country, including a man who disguised himself as a car seat. “YOU stop the ‘seat man,’ if you’re so smart, if you’re so clever,” the professor said. He is without a doubt a brilliant man and definitely knows his stuff when it comes to problems in American cities, but the drama just adds an aura of ridiculous brilliance to the class. This could quite possibly become my favorite course this semester.
Intermediate Reporting aka J320 — This is the most dreaded class at UT’s School of Journalism. Every single student that comes into the College of Communication automatically hears about the course, which is comprised of an insane amount of work. This is the most intense writing class that undergraduate journalism students will have to take, with lengthy stories due nearly every week. That doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, but it adds up, considering I already write for The Daily Texan. Plus, it’s hard to get motivated to write stories simply for a class and a grade when you’re already getting published every week in one of the most award-winning student newspapers in the country, as well as here in the Herald-Press. This class won’t be so much trying not to drown in the workload as it will be trying to find the energy to actually do said work.
Second Year Spanish I — Oh yeah, you knew this one was coming. I won’t say too much in this spot because I think you all know about the difficulty I have with foreign languages and my affinity for telling everyone I know about that difficulty. Nevertheless, at least the professor is nice (something that isn’t always true, believe me), and considering that she’s a native Texan and former student at Texas Tech University, it’s humorous to hear her speaking with a perfect Spanish accent at one moment and then immediately switch to a typical Texan drawl in the next.
So there you have it. That’s my life for the next few months, trying to learn Spanish and doing a ridiculous amount of writing for the Texan, the Herald-Press and my class. Wish me luck.
————
Robert Rich is a junior journalism major at the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated from Westwood High School in 2006. He can be reached via e-mail at robert.rich@mail.utexas.edu
September 5, 2008
Critics worry voter ID proposal would disenfranchise citizens
Kevin Sieff (The Brownsville Herald)
BROWNSVILLE -- Proposed changes in the state's voting laws could force thousands of South Texans to prove their citizenship in order to vote in local, state and national elections.
During the coming legislative session, Texas Republicans plan to introduce a measure that would target perpetrators of voter fraud, especially non-citizens. The stringent voting regulations -- dubbed the "voter suppression bill" by opponents -- are already being discussed by Texas state representatives.
On Friday, members of the House's elections committee met at the University of Texas-Brownsville/Texas Southmost College to take testimony related to voting reform.
If voters are required to provide proof of citizenship - as last year's failed House Bill 626 would have mandated -- South Texans will likely be among the most adversely affected.
Many Rio Grande Valley residents delivered by midwives are currently struggling to get passports because of U.S. State Department suspicions that their birth certificates were fraudulently provided. See ACLU Lawsuit
At the hearing Friday, immigration attorney Lisa Brodyaga estimated thousands of passport applicants -- almost all of them South Texas residents -- are struggling to prove they were born in the United States. If voters are required to provide proof of citizenship, many worry the same people will be disenfranchised.
"These cases reveal serious flaws with the proposal to require proof of citizenship in order to vote," said Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, the chairman of Friday's hearing.
But House Republicans continue to stress the importance of voting reform.
In a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote that "serious allegations of voter fraud have persisted, especially in South Texas, for more than a century."
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has made it clear that cracking down on voter fraud will be one of his priorities this session, said Rich Parsons, a spokesperson for Dewhurst.
"He wants to make sure that only U.S. citizens are casting their vote in U.S. elections," Parsons said.
In addition to the proof of citizenship requirement, House Republicans have also pushed a voter-identification bill that would require voters to present government-sanctioned photo identification, such as a driver's license, at the polls, in addition to a valid voter registration card.
But two recent studies found that voter-identification requirements could keep current voters away from the polls.
In 2006, the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law found that 25 percent of African-Americans, 18 percent of seniors over 65, and 15 percent of voters earning under $35,000 a year do not have government-issued photo identification.
A study commissioned by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, conducted by researchers from Rutgers and Ohio State universities, found that in 2004, states with voter-identification laws experienced a drop in turnout, including a 10 percent drop in Hispanic voters.
BROWNSVILLE -- Proposed changes in the state's voting laws could force thousands of South Texans to prove their citizenship in order to vote in local, state and national elections.
During the coming legislative session, Texas Republicans plan to introduce a measure that would target perpetrators of voter fraud, especially non-citizens. The stringent voting regulations -- dubbed the "voter suppression bill" by opponents -- are already being discussed by Texas state representatives.
On Friday, members of the House's elections committee met at the University of Texas-Brownsville/Texas Southmost College to take testimony related to voting reform.
If voters are required to provide proof of citizenship - as last year's failed House Bill 626 would have mandated -- South Texans will likely be among the most adversely affected.
Many Rio Grande Valley residents delivered by midwives are currently struggling to get passports because of U.S. State Department suspicions that their birth certificates were fraudulently provided. See ACLU Lawsuit
At the hearing Friday, immigration attorney Lisa Brodyaga estimated thousands of passport applicants -- almost all of them South Texas residents -- are struggling to prove they were born in the United States. If voters are required to provide proof of citizenship, many worry the same people will be disenfranchised.
"These cases reveal serious flaws with the proposal to require proof of citizenship in order to vote," said Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, the chairman of Friday's hearing.
But House Republicans continue to stress the importance of voting reform.
In a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote that "serious allegations of voter fraud have persisted, especially in South Texas, for more than a century."
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has made it clear that cracking down on voter fraud will be one of his priorities this session, said Rich Parsons, a spokesperson for Dewhurst.
"He wants to make sure that only U.S. citizens are casting their vote in U.S. elections," Parsons said.
In addition to the proof of citizenship requirement, House Republicans have also pushed a voter-identification bill that would require voters to present government-sanctioned photo identification, such as a driver's license, at the polls, in addition to a valid voter registration card.
But two recent studies found that voter-identification requirements could keep current voters away from the polls.
In 2006, the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law found that 25 percent of African-Americans, 18 percent of seniors over 65, and 15 percent of voters earning under $35,000 a year do not have government-issued photo identification.
A study commissioned by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, conducted by researchers from Rutgers and Ohio State universities, found that in 2004, states with voter-identification laws experienced a drop in turnout, including a 10 percent drop in Hispanic voters.
September 1, 2008
Granjeno celebrates Labor Day with wall protest
Sean Gaffney
GRANJENO — Work continued on the border wall Monday evening as residents and local activists celebrated Labor Day with chicken, rice and a side of protest.
After the holiday dinner, about a dozen activists placed protest signs on the levees adjacent to unfinished wall. The signs were then taken down and tossed aside by an employee from Ballenger Construction, the firm building the barrier.
About 200 people feasted at the Granjeno community center in an event put together by "Resist the Wall," an activist network that is against both the border wall and what they say is the larger issue fueling the barrier's construction: anti-immigrant mentality.
"We didn't want to focus on just the environment and the wall," said Ann Williams Cass, one of the founding members. The dinner was designed to remind people that "immigrants have built this country," she added.
Katella Quintero, 21, brought her boyfriend Mark Cantu, 27, to the dinner so she could earn extra credit for a University of Texas Pan-American class. Meeting Granjeno residents whose homes will now be wall-front property was "surreal" and made the construction concrete, she said.
"It's kind of sad," she said.
Hidalgo County is slated to have 22 miles of a dual-purpose concrete wall, levee system complex that Congress approved in the name of national security. Original plans for the wall threatened to cost many people in Granjeno their land until the residents pushed back and the site was moved back to federal property along the levees but near the homes of the 485 residents.
David Anschen, an assistant professor of English at the UTPA, said he adamantly opposes the wall and he still hopes it will come tumbling down before it's finished.
"Like Humpty Dumpty, it won't be put back together again," he said.
GRANJENO — Work continued on the border wall Monday evening as residents and local activists celebrated Labor Day with chicken, rice and a side of protest.
After the holiday dinner, about a dozen activists placed protest signs on the levees adjacent to unfinished wall. The signs were then taken down and tossed aside by an employee from Ballenger Construction, the firm building the barrier.
About 200 people feasted at the Granjeno community center in an event put together by "Resist the Wall," an activist network that is against both the border wall and what they say is the larger issue fueling the barrier's construction: anti-immigrant mentality.
"We didn't want to focus on just the environment and the wall," said Ann Williams Cass, one of the founding members. The dinner was designed to remind people that "immigrants have built this country," she added.
Katella Quintero, 21, brought her boyfriend Mark Cantu, 27, to the dinner so she could earn extra credit for a University of Texas Pan-American class. Meeting Granjeno residents whose homes will now be wall-front property was "surreal" and made the construction concrete, she said.
"It's kind of sad," she said.
Hidalgo County is slated to have 22 miles of a dual-purpose concrete wall, levee system complex that Congress approved in the name of national security. Original plans for the wall threatened to cost many people in Granjeno their land until the residents pushed back and the site was moved back to federal property along the levees but near the homes of the 485 residents.
David Anschen, an assistant professor of English at the UTPA, said he adamantly opposes the wall and he still hopes it will come tumbling down before it's finished.
"Like Humpty Dumpty, it won't be put back together again," he said.
El Paso makes impact nationally
By Silvestre Reyes / Guest columnist
Article Launched: 08/31/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
This month, several of our country's high-ranking national security officials were in El Paso to attend the Border Security Conference hosted by UTEP, in conjunction with my office.
Now in its fifth year, the Border Security Conference has become one of the most prominent gatherings of border security experts in the U.S.
This year's conference was once again a great success, drawing national and regional leaders and participants from across the U.S. and Mexico.
Participants of this year's conference had the opportunity to hear from top national security leaders, including FBI Director Robert Mueller, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Acting Director Michael Sullivan, and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Ralph Basham.
These speakers provided insightful presentations during the conference and addressed the many challenges and emerging threats confronting the Borderland and the nation as a whole.
As the largest border community in the world, El Paso is the perfect venue to host this important conference on border security. It is important that our nation's top security leaders are fully aware and informed about the unique security threats confronting El Paso.
The Border Security Conference also gave El Pasoans the opportunity to learn about what our federal agencies are doing to help quell the violence in our sister city, Juárez, and hear about ongoing federal efforts to help ensure the violence does not spill over into the U.S.
During the conference, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Undersecretary for Science and Technology, Jay Cohen, UTEP President Diana Natalicio and I participated in the rollout of UTEP's new Center for Border Security and Immigration.
Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security officially designated UTEP as the new home of the National Center for Border Security and Immigration.
I have worked with Dr. Natalicio for nearly five years to help establish UTEP as a leading institution for border security and homeland security research.
This designation will provide UTEP with millions of dollars in research funding to assist DHS in developing practical strategies to improve border security and devise sound immigration policies.
UTEP's Center for Border Security and Immigration will also develop the next generation of homeland security experts right here in El Paso, and will harness UTEP's vast expertise in border issues to provide students with unique opportunities to conduct cutting-edge research in the world's largest border community.
This new center also furthers UTEP's efforts to become a top-tier research university.
Our region is uniquely positioned to offer an ideal environment for homeland security and border security research, and Dr. Natalicio and the UTEP administration are doing a superb job in establishing the university as the number one destination to study these issues.
In addition to this exciting new center at UTEP, the Department of Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing, Jaime Estrada, and I announced that the Department of Commerce will open a new Export Assistance Office in El Paso.
This new office will provide local-area businesses access to customized counseling and market research to help them export their products to new markets, and as a result, increase their competitiveness in the global economy.
Our region exports billions of dollars in goods each year, and it is vitally important that local businesses can easily access quality counseling and market research here at home.
As the U.S. representative for the 16th District of Texas and a life-long resident of the El Paso-area, I am extremely proud that our community is on the move.
With the unprecedented expansion of Fort Bliss, the rapid growth of our medical sector, our city's Downtown revitalization, and UTEP's emergence as a national leader in homeland security and border research, our community is poised to achieve many great things in the years ahead.
All El Pasoans should be proud of how far our community has come.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes represents the 16th Congressional District of Texas.
Article Launched: 08/31/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
This month, several of our country's high-ranking national security officials were in El Paso to attend the Border Security Conference hosted by UTEP, in conjunction with my office.
Now in its fifth year, the Border Security Conference has become one of the most prominent gatherings of border security experts in the U.S.
This year's conference was once again a great success, drawing national and regional leaders and participants from across the U.S. and Mexico.
Participants of this year's conference had the opportunity to hear from top national security leaders, including FBI Director Robert Mueller, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Acting Director Michael Sullivan, and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Ralph Basham.
These speakers provided insightful presentations during the conference and addressed the many challenges and emerging threats confronting the Borderland and the nation as a whole.
As the largest border community in the world, El Paso is the perfect venue to host this important conference on border security. It is important that our nation's top security leaders are fully aware and informed about the unique security threats confronting El Paso.
The Border Security Conference also gave El Pasoans the opportunity to learn about what our federal agencies are doing to help quell the violence in our sister city, Juárez, and hear about ongoing federal efforts to help ensure the violence does not spill over into the U.S.
During the conference, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Undersecretary for Science and Technology, Jay Cohen, UTEP President Diana Natalicio and I participated in the rollout of UTEP's new Center for Border Security and Immigration.
Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security officially designated UTEP as the new home of the National Center for Border Security and Immigration.
I have worked with Dr. Natalicio for nearly five years to help establish UTEP as a leading institution for border security and homeland security research.
This designation will provide UTEP with millions of dollars in research funding to assist DHS in developing practical strategies to improve border security and devise sound immigration policies.
UTEP's Center for Border Security and Immigration will also develop the next generation of homeland security experts right here in El Paso, and will harness UTEP's vast expertise in border issues to provide students with unique opportunities to conduct cutting-edge research in the world's largest border community.
This new center also furthers UTEP's efforts to become a top-tier research university.
Our region is uniquely positioned to offer an ideal environment for homeland security and border security research, and Dr. Natalicio and the UTEP administration are doing a superb job in establishing the university as the number one destination to study these issues.
In addition to this exciting new center at UTEP, the Department of Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing, Jaime Estrada, and I announced that the Department of Commerce will open a new Export Assistance Office in El Paso.
This new office will provide local-area businesses access to customized counseling and market research to help them export their products to new markets, and as a result, increase their competitiveness in the global economy.
Our region exports billions of dollars in goods each year, and it is vitally important that local businesses can easily access quality counseling and market research here at home.
As the U.S. representative for the 16th District of Texas and a life-long resident of the El Paso-area, I am extremely proud that our community is on the move.
With the unprecedented expansion of Fort Bliss, the rapid growth of our medical sector, our city's Downtown revitalization, and UTEP's emergence as a national leader in homeland security and border research, our community is poised to achieve many great things in the years ahead.
All El Pasoans should be proud of how far our community has come.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes represents the 16th Congressional District of Texas.
August 19, 2008
DHS rejects Cameron County's border fence/levee project
August 19, 2008 - 9:47PM
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ/The Brownsville Herald
Cameron County soon could see installation of approximately 37 miles of border fencing, following the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's rejection of the county's proposed alternative to the fence.
The DHS said the county's proposal to combine the Rio Grande's levees with the planned U.S. border fence is not feasible and would be much more costly than anticipated. Although no construction date has been set, the DHS hopes to have fence construction finished this year.
County Judge Carlos H. Cascos on Tuesday said he suspected this would be the outcome.
"We did everything that we could do (to offer them an alternative to fence construction)," Cascos said. "It's unfortunate, but we have to move."
The county was notified Monday afternoon of DHS's decision. A letter from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Cascos said the "key factors" in reaching the conclusion pertains to the cost and coordination with the International Boundary and Water Commission, which is working on levee improvements in the Cameron County area.
"We do not believe it will be feasible to collaborate with them in a joint levee-barrier project,'' wrote W. Ralph Basham, commissioner for CBP, in the letter.
"As we proceed with planned installation of border security fencing in Cameron County, we will maintain open dialogue with your community and affected landowners," the letter further states.
Cascos said he asked for something in writing, so there would be "no misunderstanding" of the government's decision.
The judge said he will also request something in writing from IBWC Commissioner Carlos Marin stating that "these levees are going to be fine" and will meet FEMA guidelines and requirements.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a statement that he was disappointed by the decision given the fact that he and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison had attempted to intervene on the county's behalf requesting that the DHS consider the county's proposal.
"While costs should always be a concern when it comes to the use of taxpayer dollars, this was a common-sense solution that put federal dollars to good use not only for the safety of local residents but also for our national security," Cornyn statement said. "The levee proposal is the type of innovative solution DHS should be pursuing as we work to secure the borders. I will continue to work with county officials and DHS as we move forward."
The DHS letter comes about a week after reports that the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers was soliciting bids for fencing in the county. Seven companies were invited to bid on the fence. As of Tuesday, no bids have been awarded.
Cameron County had hoped a memorandum of understanding between the county and IBWC signed last week would steer the county closer to getting federal approval on its proposed border fence/levee project.
For more than a month, county officials have been awaiting word from DHS on whether it would approve the county's alternative to a border fence.
The MOU was similar to the one signed by Hidalgo County officials earlier this year. It was expected to be sent to IBWC last week.
Although County Commissioners approved the memorandum of understanding, they also authorized the removal of some language that International Boundary and Water Commission might had wanted included.
The memorandum would not be validated unless the DHS approved the county's fence/levee proposal.
The two paragraphs removed from the memorandum included that the county has funding for the agreement and the county understands that the DHS is not obligated to make any reimbursements to the county.
County officials had been visiting with officials at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, to find out the DHS's plans.
"They are going to be doing something," is what UTB-TSC officials told the county, Cascos said.
Federal officials opted not to build a fence on the UTB-TSC campus, which would have divided it, because the university came up with an alternative proposal that got DHS approval.
Meanwhile, several lawsuits filed by landowners against the DHS are pending in federal court.
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ/The Brownsville Herald
Cameron County soon could see installation of approximately 37 miles of border fencing, following the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's rejection of the county's proposed alternative to the fence.
The DHS said the county's proposal to combine the Rio Grande's levees with the planned U.S. border fence is not feasible and would be much more costly than anticipated. Although no construction date has been set, the DHS hopes to have fence construction finished this year.
County Judge Carlos H. Cascos on Tuesday said he suspected this would be the outcome.
"We did everything that we could do (to offer them an alternative to fence construction)," Cascos said. "It's unfortunate, but we have to move."
The county was notified Monday afternoon of DHS's decision. A letter from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Cascos said the "key factors" in reaching the conclusion pertains to the cost and coordination with the International Boundary and Water Commission, which is working on levee improvements in the Cameron County area.
"We do not believe it will be feasible to collaborate with them in a joint levee-barrier project,'' wrote W. Ralph Basham, commissioner for CBP, in the letter.
"As we proceed with planned installation of border security fencing in Cameron County, we will maintain open dialogue with your community and affected landowners," the letter further states.
Cascos said he asked for something in writing, so there would be "no misunderstanding" of the government's decision.
The judge said he will also request something in writing from IBWC Commissioner Carlos Marin stating that "these levees are going to be fine" and will meet FEMA guidelines and requirements.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a statement that he was disappointed by the decision given the fact that he and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison had attempted to intervene on the county's behalf requesting that the DHS consider the county's proposal.
"While costs should always be a concern when it comes to the use of taxpayer dollars, this was a common-sense solution that put federal dollars to good use not only for the safety of local residents but also for our national security," Cornyn statement said. "The levee proposal is the type of innovative solution DHS should be pursuing as we work to secure the borders. I will continue to work with county officials and DHS as we move forward."
The DHS letter comes about a week after reports that the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers was soliciting bids for fencing in the county. Seven companies were invited to bid on the fence. As of Tuesday, no bids have been awarded.
Cameron County had hoped a memorandum of understanding between the county and IBWC signed last week would steer the county closer to getting federal approval on its proposed border fence/levee project.
For more than a month, county officials have been awaiting word from DHS on whether it would approve the county's alternative to a border fence.
The MOU was similar to the one signed by Hidalgo County officials earlier this year. It was expected to be sent to IBWC last week.
Although County Commissioners approved the memorandum of understanding, they also authorized the removal of some language that International Boundary and Water Commission might had wanted included.
The memorandum would not be validated unless the DHS approved the county's fence/levee proposal.
The two paragraphs removed from the memorandum included that the county has funding for the agreement and the county understands that the DHS is not obligated to make any reimbursements to the county.
County officials had been visiting with officials at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, to find out the DHS's plans.
"They are going to be doing something," is what UTB-TSC officials told the county, Cascos said.
Federal officials opted not to build a fence on the UTB-TSC campus, which would have divided it, because the university came up with an alternative proposal that got DHS approval.
Meanwhile, several lawsuits filed by landowners against the DHS are pending in federal court.
Senator John Cornyn lauds UTEP homeland security center during visit
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 08/19/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn -- a Texas Republican who was in El Paso Monday for border security briefings and to attend a fundraiser set up by former White House political adviser Karl
Rove -- said a new UTEP homeland security research center will provide ways to balance border protection with the free flow of legal commerce.
Work at the University of Texas at El Paso's Center for Border Security and Immigration will help "find a proper perspective and balance when it comes to legal commerce that crosses the border," Cornyn said during an afternoon news conference at the University of Texas at El Paso. "One of the hardest things in Washington, D.C., believe it or not, is to get good information.
"I want to make sure I get solid information so we can make good judgments," Cornyn said. "It's an area that's not well understood and it's important that we get it right. ... I'm very concerned about long delays (at U.S. customs inspection stations) because this is legal traffic and commerce that benefits the state of Texas."
UTEP President Diana Natalicio and retired Brig. Gen. José Riojas, the university's vice president for strategic initiatives, which includes the border and immigration center, said Cornyn understood the center's role and importance. Riojas said the center can provide objective information unaffected by partisan spin.
"Like everyone else who doesn't live here, he's seeking information and understanding and that's important," Natalicio said.
In briefings by top local officials with the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cornyn said he was told that, to date, drug-cartel violence in Juárez and other border towns had not spilled over into the United States.
"From what I heard, there is no evidence that is happening," said Cornyn, who characterized the violence in Juárez as "unacceptable."
On immigration, Cornyn said he supported the"border-fence" bill in Congress because the U.S. Border Patrol said they needed fencing for strategic locations, but not as a singular solution. Nothing he heard Monday changed his mind, he said. "Perhaps the (UTEP border center) can help us come up with solutions that are more effective," he added.
Texas Democrats assailed Cornyn for allowing Rove, who has been cited for contempt of Congress for not appearing to answer questions about his role in the hiring and firing -- which some have said was politically based -- of Justice Department officials. "Karl Rove is an old friend of mine and he's doing me a favor and I'm proud to have him here," Cornyn said. "He's not a pariah in Texas."
A Monday news release from Rick Noriega, Cornyn's Democratic challenger in the November elections, charged that Cornyn -- who, as Texas attorney general, successfully sued to shut down the Tigua Indian's Speaking Rock Casino -- was connected to a lobbyist scandal that cost the tribe $4.2 million.
Washington, D.C., lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- who in 2006 pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion charges -- and an associate took the money from the Tiguas for an unsuccessful attempt to lobby lawmakers to reopen the casino. At the same time, Abramoff allegedly hired former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed to rally Christians against gambling in Texas.
One e-mail from Reed to Abramoff in 2002, quoted by Noriega, says Cornyn's response was "choreographed" by the lobbyists. Noriega said the "payoff" was a contribution to Cornyn's campaign.
Cornyn said Abramoff wrote a $1,000 check at a benefit for himself and "several other beneficiaries," and repeated Monday that he never met the lobbyist and that the e-mails were sent "without my knowledge."
"I think they were bragging about things that were not actually true," Cornyn said.
Chris Roberts may be reached at chrisr@elpasotimes.com;546-6136.
Article Launched: 08/19/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn -- a Texas Republican who was in El Paso Monday for border security briefings and to attend a fundraiser set up by former White House political adviser Karl
Rove -- said a new UTEP homeland security research center will provide ways to balance border protection with the free flow of legal commerce.
Work at the University of Texas at El Paso's Center for Border Security and Immigration will help "find a proper perspective and balance when it comes to legal commerce that crosses the border," Cornyn said during an afternoon news conference at the University of Texas at El Paso. "One of the hardest things in Washington, D.C., believe it or not, is to get good information.
"I want to make sure I get solid information so we can make good judgments," Cornyn said. "It's an area that's not well understood and it's important that we get it right. ... I'm very concerned about long delays (at U.S. customs inspection stations) because this is legal traffic and commerce that benefits the state of Texas."
UTEP President Diana Natalicio and retired Brig. Gen. José Riojas, the university's vice president for strategic initiatives, which includes the border and immigration center, said Cornyn understood the center's role and importance. Riojas said the center can provide objective information unaffected by partisan spin.
"Like everyone else who doesn't live here, he's seeking information and understanding and that's important," Natalicio said.
In briefings by top local officials with the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cornyn said he was told that, to date, drug-cartel violence in Juárez and other border towns had not spilled over into the United States.
"From what I heard, there is no evidence that is happening," said Cornyn, who characterized the violence in Juárez as "unacceptable."
On immigration, Cornyn said he supported the"border-fence" bill in Congress because the U.S. Border Patrol said they needed fencing for strategic locations, but not as a singular solution. Nothing he heard Monday changed his mind, he said. "Perhaps the (UTEP border center) can help us come up with solutions that are more effective," he added.
Texas Democrats assailed Cornyn for allowing Rove, who has been cited for contempt of Congress for not appearing to answer questions about his role in the hiring and firing -- which some have said was politically based -- of Justice Department officials. "Karl Rove is an old friend of mine and he's doing me a favor and I'm proud to have him here," Cornyn said. "He's not a pariah in Texas."
A Monday news release from Rick Noriega, Cornyn's Democratic challenger in the November elections, charged that Cornyn -- who, as Texas attorney general, successfully sued to shut down the Tigua Indian's Speaking Rock Casino -- was connected to a lobbyist scandal that cost the tribe $4.2 million.
Washington, D.C., lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- who in 2006 pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion charges -- and an associate took the money from the Tiguas for an unsuccessful attempt to lobby lawmakers to reopen the casino. At the same time, Abramoff allegedly hired former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed to rally Christians against gambling in Texas.
One e-mail from Reed to Abramoff in 2002, quoted by Noriega, says Cornyn's response was "choreographed" by the lobbyists. Noriega said the "payoff" was a contribution to Cornyn's campaign.
Cornyn said Abramoff wrote a $1,000 check at a benefit for himself and "several other beneficiaries," and repeated Monday that he never met the lobbyist and that the e-mails were sent "without my knowledge."
"I think they were bragging about things that were not actually true," Cornyn said.
Chris Roberts may be reached at chrisr@elpasotimes.com;546-6136.
August 11, 2008
Conference to discuss effect of security on border life
By Gustavo Reveles Acosta / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 08/11/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- International officials will discuss border security and its effects on commerce, technology and education at a two-day conference starting Monday at the University of Texas at El Paso.
The fifth-annual Border Security Conference will include panels and discussions on effective trade practices, security strategies and technologies, and the impact of education in the future of national security.
"As the largest border community in the world, El Paso is the ideal venue for this important conference," said U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, who is one of the organizers. "UTEP will host top-level officials from the United States and Mexico who will make presentations on key border issues and explore opportunities for greater cross-border collaboration to meet emerging challenges."
The event is free and open to the public.
Registration begins Monday morning.
Some of the prominent speakers expected to attend the conference include FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, ; Air Force Gen. Victor "Gene" Renuart, commander of the U.S. Northern Command; and Ralph Basham, the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
On Tuesday, conference officials are also expected to announce the opening of the National Center for Border Security and Immigration at UTEP.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-designated center will receive $6 million in federal money to research and develop technologies, tools and methodology in an effort to balance immigration, commerce and border security.
"We are pleased that UTEP will host this," President Diana Natalicio said. "The university's border location, its academic program and research strengths, and its partnerships with universities in Mexico provide a highly compatible backdrop for these important conversations."
The center will be created in partnership with the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Gustavo Reveles Acosta may be reached at greveles@elpasotimes.com; 546-6133.
Make plans
The fifth-annual Border Security Conference is Monday and Tuesday at UTEP.
The free event is open to the public.
Information: 747-8274 or log on to http://ia.utep.edu/conferences
By Gustavo Reveles Acosta / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 08/11/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- International officials will discuss border security and its effects on commerce, technology and education at a two-day conference starting Monday at the University of Texas at El Paso.
The fifth-annual Border Security Conference will include panels and discussions on effective trade practices, security strategies and technologies, and the impact of education in the future of national security.
"As the largest border community in the world, El Paso is the ideal venue for this important conference," said U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, who is one of the organizers. "UTEP will host top-level officials from the United States and Mexico who will make presentations on key border issues and explore opportunities for greater cross-border collaboration to meet emerging challenges."
The event is free and open to the public.
Registration begins Monday morning.
Some of the prominent speakers expected to attend the conference include FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, ; Air Force Gen. Victor "Gene" Renuart, commander of the U.S. Northern Command; and Ralph Basham, the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
On Tuesday, conference officials are also expected to announce the opening of the National Center for Border Security and Immigration at UTEP.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-designated center will receive $6 million in federal money to research and develop technologies, tools and methodology in an effort to balance immigration, commerce and border security.
"We are pleased that UTEP will host this," President Diana Natalicio said. "The university's border location, its academic program and research strengths, and its partnerships with universities in Mexico provide a highly compatible backdrop for these important conversations."
The center will be created in partnership with the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Gustavo Reveles Acosta may be reached at greveles@elpasotimes.com; 546-6133.
Make plans
The fifth-annual Border Security Conference is Monday and Tuesday at UTEP.
The free event is open to the public.
Information: 747-8274 or log on to http://ia.utep.edu/conferences
UTEP will be at forefront of border security and technology
08.11.08
EL PASO -- The U.S.-Mexico border is constantly changing and officials at the Department of Homeland Security believe the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is the perfect institution to help meet the future security demands of the nation.
The National Center for Border Security and Immigration at UTEP was officially unveiled Tuesday during the fifth annual Border Security Conference at UTEP.
The formal announcement was made this morning by Jay M. Cohen, Undersecretary for Science and Technology for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. U.S. Representative Silvestre Reyes and UTEP President Diana Natalicio joined Cohen in the announcement.
Retired Army Brigadier General Jose Rojas will be the Executive Director of the center.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Rojas lauded the program's launch. "This is about aligning our intellectual capital ... with the needs of DHS," he told the AP. "They've given us a challenge to make a different and new approach."
Officials at the conference announced that UTEP will be joining forces with the University of Arizona at Tucson to conduct research and come up with new technologies, tools, and advanced methods to balance immigration and commerce with effective border security.
According to a news release, their focus will be to assess threats and vulnerabilities, improve surveillance and screening, analyze immigration trends, and help enhance policy and law enforcement efforts.
"What we're trying to do, is to create the workforce, the students, develop the next generation that will make the nation safer," said Cohen.
The university was elected the National Center for Border Security and Immigration earlier this year. It will receive up to six-million dollars over the next six years to aid in the research and long-term solutions to border security and immigration issues.
Officials say it will allow students to take courses dealing with border security and immigration, and help prepare them for various new career opportunities with the department.
"It will be great for students that are into those careers and it just adds to the opportunities here at UTEP," said Julieta Ibaraki, UTEP student.
EL PASO -- The U.S.-Mexico border is constantly changing and officials at the Department of Homeland Security believe the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is the perfect institution to help meet the future security demands of the nation.
The National Center for Border Security and Immigration at UTEP was officially unveiled Tuesday during the fifth annual Border Security Conference at UTEP.
The formal announcement was made this morning by Jay M. Cohen, Undersecretary for Science and Technology for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. U.S. Representative Silvestre Reyes and UTEP President Diana Natalicio joined Cohen in the announcement.
Retired Army Brigadier General Jose Rojas will be the Executive Director of the center.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Rojas lauded the program's launch. "This is about aligning our intellectual capital ... with the needs of DHS," he told the AP. "They've given us a challenge to make a different and new approach."
Officials at the conference announced that UTEP will be joining forces with the University of Arizona at Tucson to conduct research and come up with new technologies, tools, and advanced methods to balance immigration and commerce with effective border security.
According to a news release, their focus will be to assess threats and vulnerabilities, improve surveillance and screening, analyze immigration trends, and help enhance policy and law enforcement efforts.
"What we're trying to do, is to create the workforce, the students, develop the next generation that will make the nation safer," said Cohen.
The university was elected the National Center for Border Security and Immigration earlier this year. It will receive up to six-million dollars over the next six years to aid in the research and long-term solutions to border security and immigration issues.
Officials say it will allow students to take courses dealing with border security and immigration, and help prepare them for various new career opportunities with the department.
"It will be great for students that are into those careers and it just adds to the opportunities here at UTEP," said Julieta Ibaraki, UTEP student.
Marguerite Casey Foundation gives $250,000 to KUT radio program
August 11, 2008 - 2:33 PM CDT | Modified: Monday, August 11, 2008 - 2:34 PM
Austin Business Journal
The Marguerite Casey Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant to public radio program Latino USA.
The budding English-language public radio newsmagazine covers Latino news and culture through sound-rich reporter pieces, audio diaries and interviews. Latino USA is produced in a partnership between KUT Radio and the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas.
The grant from the Seattle-based Marguerite Casey Foundation will allow for expanded coverage of issues on the air, as well as on the Web. Latino USA plans to archive its reporting online, making it available to communities and individuals in the months and years to come.
"This generous support allows us to deepen our commitment to telling the stories of immigrant families in America: stories of great human resolve and courage, stories of communities in change, stories of hope and entrepreneurial spirit, and new beginnings," says Sean Collins, executive producer of Latino USA. "We are deeply grateful to the Marguerite Casey Foundation for investing in the work of the talented group of journalists at Latino USA."
According to UT, Latino USA is heard by more than 350,000 people on 130 NPR stations around the country.
www.latinousa.org
Austin Business Journal
The Marguerite Casey Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant to public radio program Latino USA.
The budding English-language public radio newsmagazine covers Latino news and culture through sound-rich reporter pieces, audio diaries and interviews. Latino USA is produced in a partnership between KUT Radio and the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas.
The grant from the Seattle-based Marguerite Casey Foundation will allow for expanded coverage of issues on the air, as well as on the Web. Latino USA plans to archive its reporting online, making it available to communities and individuals in the months and years to come.
"This generous support allows us to deepen our commitment to telling the stories of immigrant families in America: stories of great human resolve and courage, stories of communities in change, stories of hope and entrepreneurial spirit, and new beginnings," says Sean Collins, executive producer of Latino USA. "We are deeply grateful to the Marguerite Casey Foundation for investing in the work of the talented group of journalists at Latino USA."
According to UT, Latino USA is heard by more than 350,000 people on 130 NPR stations around the country.
www.latinousa.org
August 6, 2008
UT-B, Homeland Security formalize deal
In lieu of a new fence on campus, existing fence at UT-Brownsville will be raised
By Andrew Kreighbaum
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 1 UT-Brownsville and U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials submitted a formal agreement Tuesday to end all legal actions concerning a proposed border fence on the school's campus.
The agreement, reached in principal Thursday, stipulates that Homeland Security will not build a fence on the campus. Instead, the university will raise an existing fence on the campus to a height of 10 feet. Homeland Security will also add motion-sensor technology to the fence, including a fiber-optic wiring system.
Contracts for the enhancement of the fence will be awarded by the university by Sept. 15 and construction will be completed by Dec. 31.
After the verbal agreement with Homeland Security, UT-Brownsville President Juliet Garcia said the UT System had volunteered to pay for costs of the fence enhancement.
"The office of facilities planning and construction would obviously work with the UT-Brownsville campus to look at specs for the fence, what the costs would be for the fence," UT System spokesman Anthony de Bruyn said. "They would bid it out like any other process."
Michael Putegnat, project manager for UT-Brownsville, said the costs of fence enhancement would likely fall below $1 million.
UT-Brownsville officials will collaborate with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, a subsidiary of Homeland Security, to measure the effectiveness of the fence by exchanging information on arrests, seizures, turnbacks and other statistics related to illegal cross-border activity, as stipulated in the agreement.
The agreement also says local border patrol "retains the ultimate discretion to determine whether the UTB/TSC pedestrian fencing system is satisfying [Customs and Border Patrol's] border security operational requirements."
The second component of the deal is a commitment by university and border patrol officials to study options for border security, including technological alternatives to physical barriers. A proposed center for the collaborative studies will be housed on the UT-Brownsville campus.
Funding for the research center will likely come from external grants, Putegnat said.
The agreement resolves a nearly yearlong legal dispute between the university and Homeland Security that began when the federal government sued for access to the campus after UT-Brownsville barred federal surveyers from going on the campus. Homeland Security has a congressional mandate to construct 670 miles of fencing along the Mexican border by the end of this year and local border patrol agents identified Brownsville as a high-priority area for fence construction.
By Andrew Kreighbaum
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 1 UT-Brownsville and U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials submitted a formal agreement Tuesday to end all legal actions concerning a proposed border fence on the school's campus.
The agreement, reached in principal Thursday, stipulates that Homeland Security will not build a fence on the campus. Instead, the university will raise an existing fence on the campus to a height of 10 feet. Homeland Security will also add motion-sensor technology to the fence, including a fiber-optic wiring system.
Contracts for the enhancement of the fence will be awarded by the university by Sept. 15 and construction will be completed by Dec. 31.
After the verbal agreement with Homeland Security, UT-Brownsville President Juliet Garcia said the UT System had volunteered to pay for costs of the fence enhancement.
"The office of facilities planning and construction would obviously work with the UT-Brownsville campus to look at specs for the fence, what the costs would be for the fence," UT System spokesman Anthony de Bruyn said. "They would bid it out like any other process."
Michael Putegnat, project manager for UT-Brownsville, said the costs of fence enhancement would likely fall below $1 million.
UT-Brownsville officials will collaborate with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, a subsidiary of Homeland Security, to measure the effectiveness of the fence by exchanging information on arrests, seizures, turnbacks and other statistics related to illegal cross-border activity, as stipulated in the agreement.
The agreement also says local border patrol "retains the ultimate discretion to determine whether the UTB/TSC pedestrian fencing system is satisfying [Customs and Border Patrol's] border security operational requirements."
The second component of the deal is a commitment by university and border patrol officials to study options for border security, including technological alternatives to physical barriers. A proposed center for the collaborative studies will be housed on the UT-Brownsville campus.
Funding for the research center will likely come from external grants, Putegnat said.
The agreement resolves a nearly yearlong legal dispute between the university and Homeland Security that began when the federal government sued for access to the campus after UT-Brownsville barred federal surveyers from going on the campus. Homeland Security has a congressional mandate to construct 670 miles of fencing along the Mexican border by the end of this year and local border patrol agents identified Brownsville as a high-priority area for fence construction.
UTB Has 10 Days to Make Fence Design
Wednesday , August 06, 2008 Posted: 01:43 PM
UTB Border Fence
Construction needs to be complete by December 31
BROWNSVILLE - University of Texas at Brownsville officials have 10 days to design the border fence for the campus. That's according to the Associated Press.
This is after the U.S. government and the university reached an agreement last week. Federal officials originally wanted to condemn part of the campus for the border fence. But the school agreed to improve its existing fence and add security cameras.
The agreement was signed and filed with the U.S. District Court in Brownsville yesterday.
The wall's design will have to strong enough to hold back illegal immigrants, but still be look good since it'll be on the campus. The signed agreement states the design must be approved by Border Patrol, before the school can put out requests for bids.
Request for bids are expected to start August 15. Construction of the improved wall must be completed by December 31.
UTB Border Fence
Construction needs to be complete by December 31
BROWNSVILLE - University of Texas at Brownsville officials have 10 days to design the border fence for the campus. That's according to the Associated Press.
This is after the U.S. government and the university reached an agreement last week. Federal officials originally wanted to condemn part of the campus for the border fence. But the school agreed to improve its existing fence and add security cameras.
The agreement was signed and filed with the U.S. District Court in Brownsville yesterday.
The wall's design will have to strong enough to hold back illegal immigrants, but still be look good since it'll be on the campus. The signed agreement states the design must be approved by Border Patrol, before the school can put out requests for bids.
Request for bids are expected to start August 15. Construction of the improved wall must be completed by December 31.
August 1, 2008
Some still rail over U.S. fence
By Emily Bazar, USA TODAY
McALLEN, Texas — Opponents of the U.S.-Mexican border fence in the Rio Grande Valley have launched a last-ditch volley of lawsuits to stop construction of the barrier, which began Sunday.
Mayors, environmentalists, landowners and shopkeepers say the fence will destroy plant and animal species, hurt the local economy and encroach on private property.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), rushing to meet a Dec. 31 congressional deadline, argues it will keep out illegal immigrants, drug runners and terrorists.
On Thursday, the University of Texas-Brownsville and Texas Southmost College settled its legal battles with DHS. The department agreed not to condemn any university land or build fencing on campus. The university pledged to raise the height of existing fencing and install cameras and other devices.
Opponents say the fence won't stop people who are determined to cross. In a region linked with Mexico through family and economic ties, they say, the fence sends a message that Mexicans, including those who enter legally, aren't welcome.
"The fence is already taking its toll," says Monica Weisberg-Stewart, owner of Gilberto's Discount House here. She says about 60% of her customers are Mexicans. Many have told her that they feel insulted by the fence.
"My customers say, 'We think twice now whether to come,' " she says.
At stake: Balancing security, economic links
Weisberg-Stewart is part of the Texas Border Coalition, a group of communities, judges and others who sued the government. The suit argues in part that officials failed to negotiate with landowners as required when acquiring land.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says his department followed the law and has taken pains to consult voluntarily with landowners in more than 100 meetings and contacts with more than 600 property owners.
He says, however, that DHS must balance negotiations with deadlines. "We know the smugglers are not going to pause while we sort out all the varying viewpoints," he says.
"We have a right as a country to determine who gets admitted and who doesn't," Chertoff says. "We have to have the tools in place to let the Border Patrol do the job."
Congress ordered DHS to build 670 miles of fence along the 2,000-mile border by the end of this year. As of July 11, it had finished 335 miles.
About 70 miles will be in the Rio Grande Valley.
The entire border will not be fenced. Fencing is intended to deter or slow illegal crossers, so it will go where agents need more time to catch them, says Ronald Vitiello, chief of the Border Patrol's Rio Grande Valley sector. It will be used in conjunction with technology such as night-vision cameras and ground sensors.
McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez shares Weisberg-Stewart's concern that the fence alienates legal visitors and hurts the economy. He says 36% of all city sales are made to Mexicans.
Cortez says the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency doesn't need the fence because it has other means of control, such as clearing riverbanks of brush so agents can spot people crossing. "What American doesn't want" secure borders? he asks.
Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates less immigration, questions Cortez's argument. "It's simply not plausible to say you favor border enforcement and then oppose all of the actual steps needed to have the border enforced," he says.
'I don't want money'
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll in March found Americans split: 49% supported the fence and 48% opposed it.
In June, environmental groups joined the city and county of El Paso, a Native American tribe and others to file a lawsuit challenging Chertoff's waiver of environmental and land management laws to speed construction. In part, the suit says the waivers violated the Constitution because they are not subject to judicial review. The Supreme Court declined to hear a similar case.
Frontera Audubon, an environmental group, is a plaintiff. Executive Director Wayne Bartholomew says the valley is home to a delicate ecosystem that exists nowhere else in the country. Endangered and threatened species such as ocelots live there.
Development, farming and other pressures mean only 5% of the original ecosystem remains, he says, and the fence would further fragment it.
About 25 miles west of here, Aleida Flores Garcia, 48, owns 30 acres in Los Ebanos, home to the last hand-operated ferry on the Rio Grande that shuttles passengers to and from Mexico.
She and her husband, Jorge Garcia, 43, have built the property into La Paloma Ranch Retreat. They built a boat ramp and put in picnic tables and playground equipment. They host fishing derbies.
They planned cabins, but Garcia realized the fence would cut off about 25 acres. The government tells her she'd still have access to most of it through a gate.
The government offered Garcia $8,800 for the land it needs. Garcia won't sell and has received a letter of condemnation. She plans to fight in court. "I don't want money," she says. "The sentimental value is worth a lot more."
McALLEN, Texas — Opponents of the U.S.-Mexican border fence in the Rio Grande Valley have launched a last-ditch volley of lawsuits to stop construction of the barrier, which began Sunday.
Mayors, environmentalists, landowners and shopkeepers say the fence will destroy plant and animal species, hurt the local economy and encroach on private property.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), rushing to meet a Dec. 31 congressional deadline, argues it will keep out illegal immigrants, drug runners and terrorists.
On Thursday, the University of Texas-Brownsville and Texas Southmost College settled its legal battles with DHS. The department agreed not to condemn any university land or build fencing on campus. The university pledged to raise the height of existing fencing and install cameras and other devices.
Opponents say the fence won't stop people who are determined to cross. In a region linked with Mexico through family and economic ties, they say, the fence sends a message that Mexicans, including those who enter legally, aren't welcome.
"The fence is already taking its toll," says Monica Weisberg-Stewart, owner of Gilberto's Discount House here. She says about 60% of her customers are Mexicans. Many have told her that they feel insulted by the fence.
"My customers say, 'We think twice now whether to come,' " she says.
At stake: Balancing security, economic links
Weisberg-Stewart is part of the Texas Border Coalition, a group of communities, judges and others who sued the government. The suit argues in part that officials failed to negotiate with landowners as required when acquiring land.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says his department followed the law and has taken pains to consult voluntarily with landowners in more than 100 meetings and contacts with more than 600 property owners.
He says, however, that DHS must balance negotiations with deadlines. "We know the smugglers are not going to pause while we sort out all the varying viewpoints," he says.
"We have a right as a country to determine who gets admitted and who doesn't," Chertoff says. "We have to have the tools in place to let the Border Patrol do the job."
Congress ordered DHS to build 670 miles of fence along the 2,000-mile border by the end of this year. As of July 11, it had finished 335 miles.
About 70 miles will be in the Rio Grande Valley.
The entire border will not be fenced. Fencing is intended to deter or slow illegal crossers, so it will go where agents need more time to catch them, says Ronald Vitiello, chief of the Border Patrol's Rio Grande Valley sector. It will be used in conjunction with technology such as night-vision cameras and ground sensors.
McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez shares Weisberg-Stewart's concern that the fence alienates legal visitors and hurts the economy. He says 36% of all city sales are made to Mexicans.
Cortez says the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency doesn't need the fence because it has other means of control, such as clearing riverbanks of brush so agents can spot people crossing. "What American doesn't want" secure borders? he asks.
Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates less immigration, questions Cortez's argument. "It's simply not plausible to say you favor border enforcement and then oppose all of the actual steps needed to have the border enforced," he says.
'I don't want money'
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll in March found Americans split: 49% supported the fence and 48% opposed it.
In June, environmental groups joined the city and county of El Paso, a Native American tribe and others to file a lawsuit challenging Chertoff's waiver of environmental and land management laws to speed construction. In part, the suit says the waivers violated the Constitution because they are not subject to judicial review. The Supreme Court declined to hear a similar case.
Frontera Audubon, an environmental group, is a plaintiff. Executive Director Wayne Bartholomew says the valley is home to a delicate ecosystem that exists nowhere else in the country. Endangered and threatened species such as ocelots live there.
Development, farming and other pressures mean only 5% of the original ecosystem remains, he says, and the fence would further fragment it.
About 25 miles west of here, Aleida Flores Garcia, 48, owns 30 acres in Los Ebanos, home to the last hand-operated ferry on the Rio Grande that shuttles passengers to and from Mexico.
She and her husband, Jorge Garcia, 43, have built the property into La Paloma Ranch Retreat. They built a boat ramp and put in picnic tables and playground equipment. They host fishing derbies.
They planned cabins, but Garcia realized the fence would cut off about 25 acres. The government tells her she'd still have access to most of it through a gate.
The government offered Garcia $8,800 for the land it needs. Garcia won't sell and has received a letter of condemnation. She plans to fight in court. "I don't want money," she says. "The sentimental value is worth a lot more."
July 31, 2008
Texas university, feds reach deal on border fence
7/31/2008
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN – 28 minutes ago
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — The planned fence along the U.S.-Mexican border will no longer cut off a large chunk of a South Texas university, according to an agreement that the school and the federal government presented to a judge Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, who had ordered the University of Texas at Brownsville and the Department of Homeland Security to work on a compromise, accepted the deal in principle and ordered both sides to submit it in writing by Tuesday.
Under the agreement, the government will not condemn any university land and will not build a fence on campus. In exchange, the school will enhance an existing fence that is in disrepair so that it will stand 10 feet tall next to the levee that runs north of the campus golf course.
The university will also invest in additional surveillance cameras and allow the Border Patrol to install its own cameras and sensors on the fence.
It is a far cry from the original proposal for a 15- to 18-foot steel fence that school officials said could have disrupted the university's access to its golf course, threatened plans for expansion and sent the wrong message across the border.
"There will be absolutely no additional impediment to the golf course," a jubilant university President Juliet Garcia said, adding that the improved fence "can be a very friendly fence."
"I see it with bougainvillea and vine growing all over it," she said.
The University of Texas System agreed to pay for improving the university's fence.
Garcia commended Homeland Security and the Border Patrol for working toward a compromise.
The Border Patrol will also support the university's efforts to win approval from the International Boundary and Water Commission to move the levee to allow expansion toward the Rio Grande.
The university on June 30 accused the government of violating an earlier court-approved agreement to study alternatives, and Hanen ordered both sides to find a solution that would meet the Border Patrol's security needs without disrupting the school.
The judge thanked both sides for working out a compromise that "allows both parties to fulfill their mission."
The university and its two-year sister school, Texas Southmost College, have been among the most formidable opponents of the border fence, which is widely unpopular in the Rio Grande Valley.
The university, with 17,000 students, is part of the nation's second-largest university system.
The Department of Homeland Security is racing to finish 670 miles of barriers along the border by the end of the year to comply with a congressional mandate.
But that goal was dealt another setback later Thursday, when the judge put off the government's request to take possession of 16 disputed properties for the fence and instead scheduled trials for March.
Most of the disputes center on the price the government has offered for land, which in many cases bisects valuable agricultural land.
By setting deadlines, Hanen appeared to try to motivate both sides to reach agreements without going to trial. The number of cases that go to trial is expected to fluctuate as some are added, removed or consolidated.
While Hanen scheduled jury trials, he said he would also consider the government's suggestion to establish a commission to settle land value disputes. He ordered the government to provide legal surveys of the land it expects to condemn and specific information about how the government developed the prices it offered.
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN – 28 minutes ago
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — The planned fence along the U.S.-Mexican border will no longer cut off a large chunk of a South Texas university, according to an agreement that the school and the federal government presented to a judge Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, who had ordered the University of Texas at Brownsville and the Department of Homeland Security to work on a compromise, accepted the deal in principle and ordered both sides to submit it in writing by Tuesday.
Under the agreement, the government will not condemn any university land and will not build a fence on campus. In exchange, the school will enhance an existing fence that is in disrepair so that it will stand 10 feet tall next to the levee that runs north of the campus golf course.
The university will also invest in additional surveillance cameras and allow the Border Patrol to install its own cameras and sensors on the fence.
It is a far cry from the original proposal for a 15- to 18-foot steel fence that school officials said could have disrupted the university's access to its golf course, threatened plans for expansion and sent the wrong message across the border.
"There will be absolutely no additional impediment to the golf course," a jubilant university President Juliet Garcia said, adding that the improved fence "can be a very friendly fence."
"I see it with bougainvillea and vine growing all over it," she said.
The University of Texas System agreed to pay for improving the university's fence.
Garcia commended Homeland Security and the Border Patrol for working toward a compromise.
The Border Patrol will also support the university's efforts to win approval from the International Boundary and Water Commission to move the levee to allow expansion toward the Rio Grande.
The university on June 30 accused the government of violating an earlier court-approved agreement to study alternatives, and Hanen ordered both sides to find a solution that would meet the Border Patrol's security needs without disrupting the school.
The judge thanked both sides for working out a compromise that "allows both parties to fulfill their mission."
The university and its two-year sister school, Texas Southmost College, have been among the most formidable opponents of the border fence, which is widely unpopular in the Rio Grande Valley.
The university, with 17,000 students, is part of the nation's second-largest university system.
The Department of Homeland Security is racing to finish 670 miles of barriers along the border by the end of the year to comply with a congressional mandate.
But that goal was dealt another setback later Thursday, when the judge put off the government's request to take possession of 16 disputed properties for the fence and instead scheduled trials for March.
Most of the disputes center on the price the government has offered for land, which in many cases bisects valuable agricultural land.
By setting deadlines, Hanen appeared to try to motivate both sides to reach agreements without going to trial. The number of cases that go to trial is expected to fluctuate as some are added, removed or consolidated.
While Hanen scheduled jury trials, he said he would also consider the government's suggestion to establish a commission to settle land value disputes. He ordered the government to provide legal surveys of the land it expects to condemn and specific information about how the government developed the prices it offered.
July 29, 2008
Texas probably will appeal ruling about bilingual education
12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 29, 2008
By TERRENCE STUTZ and KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – Texas will probably appeal a court ruling mandating a new language program for an estimated 140,000 junior high and high school students who don't have command of the English language, state officials said Monday.
Legislative leaders said curriculum improvements for that group of mostly Hispanic students are probably on the way regardless of the appeal.
The chairmen of the House and Senate education committees said lawmakers were already zeroing in on the problems of limited-English students – including low test scores and high dropout rates – before U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice ruled Friday that the state has failed to properly educate those students.
In issuing the surprise decision, the longtime federal judge reversed his own July 2007 ruling that affirmed the state's bilingual education programs. His new order gives the state until Jan. 31 to come up with a different plan.
Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said her panel is exploring legislation that would upgrade instruction and beef up dropout prevention programs for limited-English students.
"While our elementary school students are doing very well, we recognize there are problems in our high schools that we want to address," she said.
House Public Education Committee Chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, touted legislation to provide state funding for dual-language immersion programs to replace traditional bilingual and English-as-a-second-language – ESL – classes.
Dual language
Under a dual-language program, students learn some subjects in their native language for a half-day and other subjects in English for the rest of the day.
"I thought this was a good solution last session," said Mr. Eissler, who passed a bill that set up a pilot program of dual-language immersion only to see it fail to get funding at the end of the 2007 session.
"We had some resistance from members who thought it was another giveaway to illegal immigrants," he said. "The truth is this is a great opportunity for kids to learn another language at an age-appropriate time. I hope this [court order] gives us some impetus to try out new approaches like this."
The attorney general's office is still deciding how to respond to Judge Justice's order, but the Texas Education Agency is expected to ask the attorney general to lodge an appeal.
"We are disappointed that the judge reversed his original order of a year ago," said Debbie Ratcliffe of the TEA. "We are continuing to study this latest ruling, but we do anticipate asking the attorney general to appeal."
Ms. Ratcliffe said the state "absolutely stands" by its programs for limited-English students and noted that even Judge Justice had positive views about the state's bilingual education programs for elementary school students in his original order.
"We know that these programs have been effective for thousands of students," she said. Even so, the TEA will do contingency planning for program changes that must be submitted to the judge by the end of January, she added.
State officials had no estimates on how much compliance with the federal court order would cost, but some observers said remediation for the 140,000 secondary students could cost $500 or more per student – or a minimum $70 million a year. Improved state monitoring of local bilingual and ESL programs – also ordered by Judge Justice – could push the cost over $100 million.
Irving Superintendent Jack Singley said much work must be done to improve programs for students learning English. Irving had the highest percentage of limited English students in the North Texas region last year – about 39 percent of students enrolled. About 4,704 of their roughly 12,851 limited English proficient – LEP – students were in ESL programs.
Most Irving students have been in U.S. schools for a number of years. Just 5 percent last year had been attending U.S. schools less than three years.
"I don't feel very comfortable about our ESL programs statewide, absolutely not," Mr. Singley said. "That's not as good a program as the bilingual program. It leads me to believe there's a lot of work to be done to deliver a different program. I have no idea what that's going to look like."
Many LEP students can speak conversational English without having mastered the vocabulary necessary to understand textbooks or to pass the graduation TAKS exams.
Dropout rate
Recently retired University of North Texas education professor Rudy Rodriguez, an expert on the issue, said the high dropout rate of Latino students in Texas is tied directly to inadequate programs.
"The decision reinforces the need and urgency for us to do something as a state," he said. "We need to develop new programs and new approaches in meeting the needs of these children. My hope is that the state will see this as an opportunity to improve the quality of the programs and not see it as a threat."
David Hinojosa of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, who represented the plaintiffs in the case, said TEA must come up with a plan that fixes the system.
"I don't know how on earth the state can say the ESL program is successful in any manner," he said, noting, "They're not being told to develop a whole new program. It just needs to be a program with some teeth in it."
Mr. Hinojosa said improvements "will require a commitment not only from the state, but also from school districts and principals. Many of our schools have been neglecting the needs of these students by holding low expectations for them and providing poor resources for their education."
tstutz@dallasnews.com;
kunmuth@dallasnews.com
By TERRENCE STUTZ and KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – Texas will probably appeal a court ruling mandating a new language program for an estimated 140,000 junior high and high school students who don't have command of the English language, state officials said Monday.
Legislative leaders said curriculum improvements for that group of mostly Hispanic students are probably on the way regardless of the appeal.
The chairmen of the House and Senate education committees said lawmakers were already zeroing in on the problems of limited-English students – including low test scores and high dropout rates – before U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice ruled Friday that the state has failed to properly educate those students.
In issuing the surprise decision, the longtime federal judge reversed his own July 2007 ruling that affirmed the state's bilingual education programs. His new order gives the state until Jan. 31 to come up with a different plan.
Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said her panel is exploring legislation that would upgrade instruction and beef up dropout prevention programs for limited-English students.
"While our elementary school students are doing very well, we recognize there are problems in our high schools that we want to address," she said.
House Public Education Committee Chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, touted legislation to provide state funding for dual-language immersion programs to replace traditional bilingual and English-as-a-second-language – ESL – classes.
Dual language
Under a dual-language program, students learn some subjects in their native language for a half-day and other subjects in English for the rest of the day.
"I thought this was a good solution last session," said Mr. Eissler, who passed a bill that set up a pilot program of dual-language immersion only to see it fail to get funding at the end of the 2007 session.
"We had some resistance from members who thought it was another giveaway to illegal immigrants," he said. "The truth is this is a great opportunity for kids to learn another language at an age-appropriate time. I hope this [court order] gives us some impetus to try out new approaches like this."
The attorney general's office is still deciding how to respond to Judge Justice's order, but the Texas Education Agency is expected to ask the attorney general to lodge an appeal.
"We are disappointed that the judge reversed his original order of a year ago," said Debbie Ratcliffe of the TEA. "We are continuing to study this latest ruling, but we do anticipate asking the attorney general to appeal."
Ms. Ratcliffe said the state "absolutely stands" by its programs for limited-English students and noted that even Judge Justice had positive views about the state's bilingual education programs for elementary school students in his original order.
"We know that these programs have been effective for thousands of students," she said. Even so, the TEA will do contingency planning for program changes that must be submitted to the judge by the end of January, she added.
State officials had no estimates on how much compliance with the federal court order would cost, but some observers said remediation for the 140,000 secondary students could cost $500 or more per student – or a minimum $70 million a year. Improved state monitoring of local bilingual and ESL programs – also ordered by Judge Justice – could push the cost over $100 million.
Irving Superintendent Jack Singley said much work must be done to improve programs for students learning English. Irving had the highest percentage of limited English students in the North Texas region last year – about 39 percent of students enrolled. About 4,704 of their roughly 12,851 limited English proficient – LEP – students were in ESL programs.
Most Irving students have been in U.S. schools for a number of years. Just 5 percent last year had been attending U.S. schools less than three years.
"I don't feel very comfortable about our ESL programs statewide, absolutely not," Mr. Singley said. "That's not as good a program as the bilingual program. It leads me to believe there's a lot of work to be done to deliver a different program. I have no idea what that's going to look like."
Many LEP students can speak conversational English without having mastered the vocabulary necessary to understand textbooks or to pass the graduation TAKS exams.
Dropout rate
Recently retired University of North Texas education professor Rudy Rodriguez, an expert on the issue, said the high dropout rate of Latino students in Texas is tied directly to inadequate programs.
"The decision reinforces the need and urgency for us to do something as a state," he said. "We need to develop new programs and new approaches in meeting the needs of these children. My hope is that the state will see this as an opportunity to improve the quality of the programs and not see it as a threat."
David Hinojosa of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, who represented the plaintiffs in the case, said TEA must come up with a plan that fixes the system.
"I don't know how on earth the state can say the ESL program is successful in any manner," he said, noting, "They're not being told to develop a whole new program. It just needs to be a program with some teeth in it."
Mr. Hinojosa said improvements "will require a commitment not only from the state, but also from school districts and principals. Many of our schools have been neglecting the needs of these students by holding low expectations for them and providing poor resources for their education."
tstutz@dallasnews.com;
kunmuth@dallasnews.com
July 22, 2008
Texans say border fence is a bad idea
July 22, 2008
EDINBURG, Texas — As construction begins on a fence along the Texas border, the federal government faces a backlash.
Among the opponents: Local governments, environmental groups, and property owners.
In other states bordering Mexico, much of the land is already owned by the government. In Texas, it's private property, and some homeowners will end up on the wrong side of the fence.
Chanting, "We don't need no border wall; liberty and justice for all," opponents of the fence refer to it as a "wall." Critics are quick to list the many reasons they don't want it built.
"My perspective is the environment as much as anything," said Sue Sill of La Cruz Habitat Protection Project, "but it's also going to be a eyesore. It's going to ruin our relationship with Mexico."
Some residents, like John Neck, even doubt the fence is really about border security. "It's not about Osama bin Laden," he said. "It's about Lupe and Carlos. Make no mistake."
Nowhere is fence opposition stronger than in the Rio Grande Valley.
"It's going to affect our economy, and it's going to affect our lives," said Christian Sanchez, a student at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg.
But this is also where the impact hits closest to home. Pamela Taylor's home is just a block-and-a-half from the border.
"This is where we live here, right here," she said. "It's the stupidity of our government at this time putting the fence up there and not asking what it's doing."
The plan calls for building the fence away from the banks of the Rio Grande, a flood plain. In some cases, that distance is a mile from the border.
The Taylor family and others will be caught in a buffer zone between the border and the barrier.
WFAA-TV
The Taylors are distributing these buttons. "People are just saying we're on the Mexican side; we're going to be Mexicans from now on, so we had these buttons printed, and we give them to everybody," Taylor said.
It's not that these border residents don't care about protecting the country; they just don't believe the federal government's fence will work.
"This is where they failed. They just sat in Washington, they looked at a map and said, 'Hey, this would be a real good idea,'" Taylor said.
In Texas, much of the border land along the Rio Grande belongs to private property owners. For some families, that ownership dates back centuries to Spanish land grants.
Now, these U.S. citizens say the federal government is trampling on their rights and ignoring the concerns of communities up and down the river.
Now a widow, Pamela Taylor's husband was a Texan with deep roots along the Rio Grande. She's a war bride from Great Britain who made the border her home in 1946 and quickly became a proud U.S. citizen.
"We are Texans," she said. "I'm a Texan. I'm a very firm American citizen. I believe in that. I fly my flag out there."
That flag now flies over a frontier at the center of controversy and — soon — to be surrounded by a fence.
E-mail akocherga@wfaa.com
EDINBURG, Texas — As construction begins on a fence along the Texas border, the federal government faces a backlash.
Among the opponents: Local governments, environmental groups, and property owners.
In other states bordering Mexico, much of the land is already owned by the government. In Texas, it's private property, and some homeowners will end up on the wrong side of the fence.
Chanting, "We don't need no border wall; liberty and justice for all," opponents of the fence refer to it as a "wall." Critics are quick to list the many reasons they don't want it built.
"My perspective is the environment as much as anything," said Sue Sill of La Cruz Habitat Protection Project, "but it's also going to be a eyesore. It's going to ruin our relationship with Mexico."
Some residents, like John Neck, even doubt the fence is really about border security. "It's not about Osama bin Laden," he said. "It's about Lupe and Carlos. Make no mistake."
Nowhere is fence opposition stronger than in the Rio Grande Valley.
"It's going to affect our economy, and it's going to affect our lives," said Christian Sanchez, a student at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg.
But this is also where the impact hits closest to home. Pamela Taylor's home is just a block-and-a-half from the border.
"This is where we live here, right here," she said. "It's the stupidity of our government at this time putting the fence up there and not asking what it's doing."
The plan calls for building the fence away from the banks of the Rio Grande, a flood plain. In some cases, that distance is a mile from the border.
The Taylor family and others will be caught in a buffer zone between the border and the barrier.
WFAA-TV
The Taylors are distributing these buttons. "People are just saying we're on the Mexican side; we're going to be Mexicans from now on, so we had these buttons printed, and we give them to everybody," Taylor said.
It's not that these border residents don't care about protecting the country; they just don't believe the federal government's fence will work.
"This is where they failed. They just sat in Washington, they looked at a map and said, 'Hey, this would be a real good idea,'" Taylor said.
In Texas, much of the border land along the Rio Grande belongs to private property owners. For some families, that ownership dates back centuries to Spanish land grants.
Now, these U.S. citizens say the federal government is trampling on their rights and ignoring the concerns of communities up and down the river.
Now a widow, Pamela Taylor's husband was a Texan with deep roots along the Rio Grande. She's a war bride from Great Britain who made the border her home in 1946 and quickly became a proud U.S. citizen.
"We are Texans," she said. "I'm a Texan. I'm a very firm American citizen. I believe in that. I fly my flag out there."
That flag now flies over a frontier at the center of controversy and — soon — to be surrounded by a fence.
E-mail akocherga@wfaa.com
July 17, 2008
Immigration cases now lead federal prosecutions
Thu, Jul. 17, 2008
By PATRICK McGEE
pmcgee@star-telegram.com
Americans who have demanded better enforcement against illegal immigrants are getting it. Immigration prosecutions are skyrocketing, according to an independent group that analyzes federal data.
Federal prosecutions for immigration offenses totaled more than 9,000 in April. That’s 87 percent higher than a year earlier and 237 percent higher than five years ago, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a data research organization at Syracuse University in New York.
The increase started in February and shot up higher in March and even higher in April.
Immigration cases now make up 58 percent of federal prosecutions. Drugs and drug trafficking are a distant second at 13 percent, according to TRAC.
"It’s just substantially up," said David Burnham, co-director of TRAC. "It’s over anything that has ever been."
Public demand
Experts said that federal law enforcement officers paid little attention to illegal immigrants for years, so their numbers grew. But voters and elected leaders are demanding crackdowns, and there are easy arrests to be made — and more immigration enforcement agents to make them.
U.S. Attorney Richard Roper who leads 90 federal prosecutors for the Northern District of Texas, said immigration cases comprise 25 percent of his docket, up from 20 percent a year ago.
The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Dallas office always pushes for prosecutions, said Reed Little, assistant field office director for detention.
"We’re always asking, 'Can you take more cases? Can you take more cases?’ " Little said.
Most prosecutions target people who entered the U.S. illegally after being deported, which is a felony, Roper, Little and the TRAC report said.
Roper said he tries to concentrate on illegal immigrants who have committed serious crimes because he does not have enough resources to prosecute every case.
Little said most of the illegal re-entry cases come from the Criminal Alien Program. Local jails, such as those in Irving, Farmers Branch and Grand Prairie, refer suspected illegal immigrants to ICE.
The Criminal Alien Program attracted large protests in Irving in 2007, but the policy continued after the public showed strong support in calls to Irving City Hall and at the ballot box by re-electing pro-CAP candidates.
May not last
Carlos Quintanilla, a Dallas activist who organized marches against CAP, said strong enforcement is the wrong approach when there’s a good chance Congress might grant legal status to millions of illegal immigrants.
"I don’t see any benefit in continuing a very aggressive deportation policy or a prosecutorial policy when both [presidential] candidates are talking about comprehensive immigration reform," he said. "Are they going to prosecute all 12 million immigrants that are here illegally? When are they going to reach their happy medium? When are they going to reach an acceptable number?"
But Joel Downs, president of the Fort Worth chapter of Citizens For Immigration Reform, which wants tough enforcement, said he’s glad to see the increase in prosecutions.
"We’re always glad to hear that the law is being enforced," he said. "Things are better."
Alejandro del Carmen, chairman of the criminology department at the University of Texas at Arlington, believes the increased prosecutions are driven by the public’s frustration with illegal immigration. He said it might not last when the political climate shifts to another issue.
"I would expect at one point almost diminishing returns once immigration is no longer perceived as the No. 1 issue facing the United States," he said.
PATRICK McGEE, 817-685-3806
July 16, 2008
Study: Border fence will disrupt lives in Valley
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN
The Associated Press
McALLEN — The U.S.-Mexico border fence will make life harder on some South Texas farmers, damage valuable wildlife habitats, impair views and generally become an obstacle to border life, the Homeland Security Department acknowledged in an environmental study.
For the people of the Rio Grande Valley, the study said that there will be serious trade-offs for 70 miles of fence designed to help the Border Patrol control illegal immigration and smuggling. But it said residents will benefit from increased security against "illegal cross-border activity."
Construction could begin next week.
"If you live within a mile or so of the river, which is where the fence will be built, you are eternally sentenced to an unsafe existence," Eagle Pass Mayor Chad Foster, head of the anti-fence Texas Border Coalition, said in a statement.
However, some South Texas denizens will get a break: The fence will include hundreds of holes so the endangered ocelot and jaguarundi cats can get to the Rio Grande to drink. And if an animal falls in the hole during fence construction? The government will provide escape ramps, the plan said.
The Homeland Security Department’s Environmental Stewardship Plan for the Rio Grande Valley was criticized before it was ever released. The department drew up the plan after Secretary Michael Chertoff waived environmental studies required by federal law to speed fence construction.
Federal officials said the plans show that Chertoff is keeping his promise to be a good steward of the land in the fence’s path.
"The secretary made it clear when he invoked the waiver authority that that by no means meant we would act without some responsible plan," said Barry Morrissey, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection. "The environmental work is still being done."
New maps of the 21 fence segments running through the lower Rio Grande Valley showed little variation from preliminary maps released last fall. The fence will run along the Rio Grande on part of the University of Texas at Brownsville campus. But the school’s golf course and undeveloped acreage will be behind it.
About 14 miles of fence between Roma and Los Ebanos will be built in the flood plain as a "removable" fence. Treaties with Mexico strictly regulate the building of permanent obstacles that could steer floodwaters toward one side or the other.
Morrissey described those segments as similar to concrete jersey barriers commonly seen in highway construction projects, topped with about 15 feet of steel mesh fencing.
The new plan does not clarify the issue of access gates in the fence — one of the most frustrating for landowners who wonder how the gates will be operated, whether they will be manned and how access could be restricted.
The question is critical for those whose homes and businesses will be left in the no man’s land between the fence and the river.
Without offering details, the plan recognized that the fence will impede farmers’ access to the land and will increase their costs and possibly decrease the land’s value.
Government contractors will clear about 508 acres in the lower Valley. Despite the access holes for the endangered cats, the plan acknowledges that the fence "will likely impact wildlife movement, access to traditional water sources, and potential for gene flow" because some of the species cross the border into Mexico to mate.
Seventeen fence sections will affect wildlife management areas or national wildlife refuges, 14 of them directly.
The Audubon Society’s Sabal Palm Center near Brownsville will still be completely south of the fence, according to the plan. And a neighboring nature reserve managed by The Nature Conservancy will be bisected.
The Associated Press
McALLEN — The U.S.-Mexico border fence will make life harder on some South Texas farmers, damage valuable wildlife habitats, impair views and generally become an obstacle to border life, the Homeland Security Department acknowledged in an environmental study.
For the people of the Rio Grande Valley, the study said that there will be serious trade-offs for 70 miles of fence designed to help the Border Patrol control illegal immigration and smuggling. But it said residents will benefit from increased security against "illegal cross-border activity."
Construction could begin next week.
"If you live within a mile or so of the river, which is where the fence will be built, you are eternally sentenced to an unsafe existence," Eagle Pass Mayor Chad Foster, head of the anti-fence Texas Border Coalition, said in a statement.
However, some South Texas denizens will get a break: The fence will include hundreds of holes so the endangered ocelot and jaguarundi cats can get to the Rio Grande to drink. And if an animal falls in the hole during fence construction? The government will provide escape ramps, the plan said.
The Homeland Security Department’s Environmental Stewardship Plan for the Rio Grande Valley was criticized before it was ever released. The department drew up the plan after Secretary Michael Chertoff waived environmental studies required by federal law to speed fence construction.
Federal officials said the plans show that Chertoff is keeping his promise to be a good steward of the land in the fence’s path.
"The secretary made it clear when he invoked the waiver authority that that by no means meant we would act without some responsible plan," said Barry Morrissey, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection. "The environmental work is still being done."
New maps of the 21 fence segments running through the lower Rio Grande Valley showed little variation from preliminary maps released last fall. The fence will run along the Rio Grande on part of the University of Texas at Brownsville campus. But the school’s golf course and undeveloped acreage will be behind it.
About 14 miles of fence between Roma and Los Ebanos will be built in the flood plain as a "removable" fence. Treaties with Mexico strictly regulate the building of permanent obstacles that could steer floodwaters toward one side or the other.
Morrissey described those segments as similar to concrete jersey barriers commonly seen in highway construction projects, topped with about 15 feet of steel mesh fencing.
The new plan does not clarify the issue of access gates in the fence — one of the most frustrating for landowners who wonder how the gates will be operated, whether they will be manned and how access could be restricted.
The question is critical for those whose homes and businesses will be left in the no man’s land between the fence and the river.
Without offering details, the plan recognized that the fence will impede farmers’ access to the land and will increase their costs and possibly decrease the land’s value.
Government contractors will clear about 508 acres in the lower Valley. Despite the access holes for the endangered cats, the plan acknowledges that the fence "will likely impact wildlife movement, access to traditional water sources, and potential for gene flow" because some of the species cross the border into Mexico to mate.
Seventeen fence sections will affect wildlife management areas or national wildlife refuges, 14 of them directly.
The Audubon Society’s Sabal Palm Center near Brownsville will still be completely south of the fence, according to the plan. And a neighboring nature reserve managed by The Nature Conservancy will be bisected.
July 13, 2008
Protesters take to streets against border wall
Sean Gaffney
July 12, 2008 - 9:20PM
EDINBURG -- Hundreds of people chanting "No border wall" marched to the Hidalgo County Courthouse on Saturday evening seeking to persuade local politicians to abandon their support for the planned barrier.
Protesters specifically targeted Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas and other county officials for linking the building of the wall to the repair of the county's deteriorating levee system.
Salinas has consistently said he opposes the border wall. But when it began to seem the barrier's construction was inevitable, he and other officials started lobbying the federal government to combine the project with levee repairs to better leverage federal money for the latter project.
Current plans call for construction of two segments of the county's 22-mile stretch of the wall to begin as early as Monday.
In anticipation of that happening, a long procession of protesters marched down University Drive from the campus of the University of Texas-Pan American to the courthouse just before 7 p.m. Saturday, pushing strollers, waving flags and signs and chanting in an almost perfect, military-like cadence.
Four-year-old Jacob Becho helped his father, Arnoldo Becho scribble, "There are no illegal people," on a makeshift cardboard wall at the Student Union Ballroom on the UTPA campus before the march.
"I oppose the wall for environmental reasons, but also because it's a terrible symbol," the older Becho said. "Migration is a human right."
Locally, construction of the cement border wall atop the county's levee system will begin with a 1.76-mile segment in Anzalduas County Park in Mission and a 0.9-mile segment along the Lower Rio Grande Valley Wildlife Refuge between Valley View Road and Farm-to-Market Road 493 in Donna.
As Eric Lawn mounted his bicycle to ride alongside the protesters, the 41-year-old said immigrants should be welcomed into the country.
"These are the kind of people you want here," he said. "They come here and they work their butts off to educate their children and send them to college."
Ann Williams Cass, a representative of the No Border Wall Coalition, a grassroots opposition group, said County Judge Salinas should never have supported the wall or the levee proposal because it's the federal government's responsibility to fix the levees. Furthermore, she added, the barrier simply won't work.
"The majority of undocumented people come to this country legally (and overstay visas,)" Cass said. "This is the perfect example of institutional racism."
July 12, 2008 - 9:20PM
EDINBURG -- Hundreds of people chanting "No border wall" marched to the Hidalgo County Courthouse on Saturday evening seeking to persuade local politicians to abandon their support for the planned barrier.
Protesters specifically targeted Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas and other county officials for linking the building of the wall to the repair of the county's deteriorating levee system.
Salinas has consistently said he opposes the border wall. But when it began to seem the barrier's construction was inevitable, he and other officials started lobbying the federal government to combine the project with levee repairs to better leverage federal money for the latter project.
Current plans call for construction of two segments of the county's 22-mile stretch of the wall to begin as early as Monday.
In anticipation of that happening, a long procession of protesters marched down University Drive from the campus of the University of Texas-Pan American to the courthouse just before 7 p.m. Saturday, pushing strollers, waving flags and signs and chanting in an almost perfect, military-like cadence.
Four-year-old Jacob Becho helped his father, Arnoldo Becho scribble, "There are no illegal people," on a makeshift cardboard wall at the Student Union Ballroom on the UTPA campus before the march.
"I oppose the wall for environmental reasons, but also because it's a terrible symbol," the older Becho said. "Migration is a human right."
Locally, construction of the cement border wall atop the county's levee system will begin with a 1.76-mile segment in Anzalduas County Park in Mission and a 0.9-mile segment along the Lower Rio Grande Valley Wildlife Refuge between Valley View Road and Farm-to-Market Road 493 in Donna.
As Eric Lawn mounted his bicycle to ride alongside the protesters, the 41-year-old said immigrants should be welcomed into the country.
"These are the kind of people you want here," he said. "They come here and they work their butts off to educate their children and send them to college."
Ann Williams Cass, a representative of the No Border Wall Coalition, a grassroots opposition group, said County Judge Salinas should never have supported the wall or the levee proposal because it's the federal government's responsibility to fix the levees. Furthermore, she added, the barrier simply won't work.
"The majority of undocumented people come to this country legally (and overstay visas,)" Cass said. "This is the perfect example of institutional racism."
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